Dry Fly Fishing – HEADHUNTERS

Missouri River Fall Fishing Forecast 2020

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 by Mark Raisler

Missouri River Fall Fishing Forecast 2020 Bring on the cloudy, wet, and snowy fall weather that we just love in October. Let’s not wait until November. We do want it in November as well but the October time frame will suit us just fine. But we are looking for the perfect day as described below… … Read more

Missouri River November Fact Sheet

November 10, 2014 by Mark Raisler

November is one of our favorite months. Why? Well, as you know we’ll tell you. A list of the things happening during this early winter spell.

No people. Very few anglers. If it is at all above 30F we have some good ‘ol locals fishing. Locals and regional folks get after it in November and December, and anytime the mercury is above that 30-40F mark.

No people. Very few anglers. Did I mention that?

More overcast days. The percentage of overcast days is great that nearly any other month in the Missouri River calendar. Fish like overcast days. They do not have eyelids and cannot squint. Streamer fishing is much better. The trout can lie in the shallows for longer each and every day. The fish like to get up on the secondary shelf and feed. Both for the dry and the streamer attack!

Headhunters Guide Service Winter Pricing

$495 through the month of November for regular guide trips. The Single handed rod version. Start @ 9am and fish til dark. All gear, fly rods, terminal tackle, flies, lunch, hot and cold beverages included. An empty river included too.
$300 Spey, 2 Handed Swing Special. Guided Two-Handed Spey Trips on the Missouri River with the Headhunters gang. Experienced instructors, great fishing, and all equipment included. It’s time to learn a new facet of fly fishing. Why not learn with a baby spey rod and catch a few trout swinging streamers. Pretty damn fun. And a bargain rate of $300!
$400 Guide Trips December 1st through March 14th. The key to your Missouri River success? Solace. Quiet river scene. Fish all winter long for big rainbows. Mostly nymph fishing and some dead drifted streamers with some swinging too!

Missouri River November Fact Sheet — We like winter here in central Montana.

Shorter days. Later starts. Both of those things get us fired up. The steaming hot cocktail tastes even better after a good November day on the water. Izaak’s is closed for the season. You will have to get your Hot Toddy @ Joe’s.

The Oasis may be open for dinner. The Frenchman and Me is certainly open and always is. The most consistent restaurant hours on the river. Joe’s Bar always open. Pizzas and beer. What more do you need.

Headhunters Fly Shop and Guide Service open daily @ 8am. Open all day long all 7 days all winter long til 6pm. The full service shop open everyday.

Headhunters is your Spey Rod Headquarters in Craig on the Missouri River. We have DEMO RODS from SAGE in the Method and the One, ECHO 3’s, Thomas & Thomas 2 Handers that many love, Orvis Clearwater Rods that are reasonably priced. A bundle of DEMO SPEY LINES from RIO and Airflo. HH is your Trout Spey Destination. Call or stop in for any questions about lines, preferred spey trout rod lengths, or demo rods. We got it all. Versi Leaders and tips for you too.

Spey Trout Guide Special is $300. Learn about 2 handed casting with Trout Spey and Switch Rods in a guided trip environment. Learn and catch trout on the Missouri River all in the same day.

December brings the 1st Free Two-Handed Clinics. Sign up in November to insure your spot in these always well attended free spey clinics. A classroom Powerpoint presentation by John in the morning with donuts and coffee followed by the afternoon casting session that goes as long as you want it to.

Craig Trout Camp Winter Pricing

Craig House. Sleeps 6 anglers. 3 BR, 2 bath, large kitchen fully stocked with all you need for cookware. Lots of room to stretch and a couple nice leather couches to watch the Sunday game on. Satellite TV, BBQ too. Base price of $150/night for 2 guests, add $50 per head after that.
Brown Trout Cabin. $125/night for up to 3 guests. 2 beds, one futon. Satellite TV no kitchen. BBQ avail if you need.
Rainbow Trout Cabin. $125/night for up to 3 guests. 2 beds, one futon. Satellite TV no kitchen. BBQ avail if you need. Just like its neighbor Brown Trout Cabin.
Ask about other Craig rental properties and winter discounts. We are your 12 month lodging booking experts.

A good time to book your 2015 Fly Fishing Vacation. Choose the best in lodging @ Craig Trout Camp and CraigLodging.com November is the time to get this done. The best selection for both guides and certainly river housing. Browse adn choose today. Get your fishing vacation in the books today.

Lots happening in the next month or two. Lots of fishing to be had for you regional fly fishing folks. Lodging, guiding, clinics, and your favoirite destination fly shop. Black Friday is coming soon. Don’t forget to pick up a couple gifts while in town. We got everything you favoirtei angler might need.

How about a Gift Card? Can’t go wrong with that item…

Streamer Fishing is popular this month. Come on in and see the acres of streamers@ Headhunters. We have all you need for tips, streamer lines, streamer info.

Hot flies for the month have been the good old black bugger. Coming back hard is the trio of Skiddish Smolts. Zonkers still damn good, Micro Zonkers really fantastic. The other side of the coin is the large fly. Yes, for you large fly lovers…the large fly is hot! And we got ’em @ Headhunters.

Along with the November Streamer bite is the perpetual shit hot nymph fishing. All winter long. Get used to it. Months of the bobber. For the best info on the river with the fishiest staff in the tri-county region stop on in for our tips for nymphing success.

Not pink yet, we got another month or two. Scuds, sows, along with the tiny micro may stuff and midge pupa.

The Missouri River is a dry fly river. Not a ton of excitement as of late, but today is damn cold and snow is in the air. So today it could change. We will let you know tomorrow how things are going.

Missouri River November Fact Sheet

Shuttles Daily. Headhunters is your 7 day a week fly shop in Craig.
Guides available every day of the year!
Fresh flies. Always @ Headhunters.
Winter Lodging available. 5 properties right in Craig for rent. The largest summer seasonal selection of lodging on the Missouri with 21 properties! Accommodations for 1-12 anglers.
Swing Season is in full effect. Your Missouri River demo center with all the rods from SAGE including the 2 handed Method and One.
Open 8-6 Daily. Call for an up to the minute fishing report 406-235-3447 or 877-DRY-FLYS

In The Life of a Headhunter

October 27, 2014 by Mark Raisler

The daily routine of a Headhunter might just go like this…

Wake. Look outside to verify cloud cover. If sunny, sleep for as long as you want. If not, rollover and sleep until 10am.

10am. Get out of bed. Make coffee. Stare outside for 31 minutes dreaming of sipping trout.

11am. Clean fly line. Tie 3 CDC Cripples and 2 Black ply posted ones too. Pour last cup of Joe.

Noon. Wander to the fly shop for fresh bottle of Frog’s Fanny. The new brush does not matter as you have been rolling same Fanny Brush for 764 days now. It’s really puffed out.

Noon:15. Drive to the river and stare at the water for 13 minutes. See some sign of the big bug. The baetis tricaudatus. Good. Very good.

Noon:30. Now standing in your favorite dry fly run staring. Just little fish and really just a few of them working.

In the Life of a Hedhunter — Standing knee deep…

1:15ish. First cast. Got ’em. First cast is always the best cast. They get more difficult after the first cast. Squeeky Oar Lock told me that ~~341 times~~ once.

1:15is til dark. Just a blur really. Some fly changing out of necessity. Really just fly replacing as the first one the CDC Wing disintegrated. Second one the poly got too gooey from fish slime. The third bad knot, again. The fourth is still attached.

634pm. Back to car headed for a Hot Toddy. Heat on high thawing crippled frozen hands. Smiling.

Tomorrow? Let us hope it is overcast and cool again.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report New Breed Style

July 2, 2014 by Mark Raisler

Char Ford fishing with Headhunters Guide Jared Edens today on this updated fishing report from Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig Montana.

It is July, and the fishing is easy. Well sometimes. I am referencing the Porgy and Bess tune from the Gershwin Brothers. Catfish are jumping’…

On any given day the stretch you fish can be quite vacant. Look around and go the other way. It works. After the 5th? Maybe.

Not too many bugs yesterday as we are in a mode where sometimes they are gonna come big, and other days not so much.

5 Ways to get it done this July

Dry or Die. Most that are here for the July period are DFO’s. Tie them on and cast. Bring your industrial bottles of GINK and Fly-Agra. Get out early and stay out late.

Blind fish the dry. Many do this in between rising fish. A good way to pick up a couple extra trout. Look for 18″-36″ of moving water and toss an attractor like an ant or a giant Adams or some sort of caddis.

Dry-Dropper. Something that not many of us do. It sacrifices both the dry and the dropper. We believe that it is perfect for freestone rivers, but not so hot for our river. Reduces the effectiveness of the dry and the dropper equally. Choose one or the other. Your most efficient option.

Deep Nymph Rig. Get the flies not he bottom with a split shot. The bottom is where most of the fish live. Deep nymphing is batting for average. Singles win ballgames. For those who like to catch a bundle, this is your technique.

Streamer Fishing. Underrated summertime activity. Strip them fast before the weeds make an appearance. Explosive grabs and bigger trout. Try it when things get slow on the other fronts.

Headhunters open daily @ 630am and open late until 9pm. Stop in for the best in Missouri River Flies. Free info too.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report June 6th 2014

June 6, 2014 by Mark Raisler

The water levels have arrived at the dry fly level of 5240cfs. LEss than a week ago we had Holter Dam outflows of 11K+.

All we can say is…terrific.

Dry fly fihsing can commence now.

Are there bugs in our dry fly world yet?

No, not really.

The bugs are subsurface an waiting for an increase in water temps. We are sitting at 52F. Down for the last week. It will rise soon.

The rest of the state is still in flux. They too will get to a level of their liking. Until then, welcome to Montana’s Missouri River. We have another great weekend in the west on tap for you here in Craig.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report June 6th 2014

The Dearborn River is in shape and quite fishable. It is flowing below 600cfs and falling. Get out now if you like to experience this wonderful freestone in our back yard. Water temps on the Dearborn are good and we have not heard of any Salmonfly activity yet…but they will eat the worm as well as stones and rubberlegs.

Little Prickly Pear is not adding any dirt to the river as it is flowing at 161cfs. So we are all clear here on the Missouri River.

We have been having good luck with PMD patterns subsurface and caddis too. Anywhere from the dam to Cascade the summer bugs are quite active.

All parties are happy with the water. The wade fisher can now make his way to his spot. The dry fly fisher can find a few, or more, to toss a fly at most of the day. The streamer feller can strip til his arm fails, then switch arms. The nympher can shorten his bobber length and be more creative about nymph presentations.

Lodging available @ www.Craiglodging.com and keep it here for the fishing skinny all week long. We also have guide available for you early June fly fishing trip. Give our first class shop staff a shout and set something up today.

Headhunters Fly Shop open daily @ 7am and open late til 8pm for all afternoon and early evening shuttle needs. Flies, fly lines, demo rods, boat rentals, sungear, HH logo wear…and the best cleanest damned freshest info on the the river. Honest.